A lot of the photos I took this year from around Disney World were downloaded straight to my computer and then remained untouched until now. Here are some of my favorite moments and images from Animal Kingdom.

Animal Kingdom never held much interest for me in the past. Growing up, my family never prioritized it–we had been going to Disney for years and I don’t think any of us liked branching out to a new park when we had perfectly good memories at the other parks.

However, I soon became attached to this park after getting the Annual Pass and starting to spend more time here.

Expedition Everest

I love this area of the park! The ride itself is always so cool to see from a distance, and then I like getting closer and seeing all the old trekking gear they use to decorate the paths to the entrance. Some of those details in this section remind me of Indonesia, too, which always makes me want to get back to Dieng Plateau.

They just opened up a big arena by the water this year, and hopefully the show that goes along with it will open soon.

Kilimanjaro Safaris

I’ve ridden this enough times that I pretty much have the script memorized. So if teaching doesn’t pan out, I guess I could always be a safari driver here!

Maharajah Jungle Trek

Let’s be real, the main reason I stop here is for the bat house. The bird house is pretty nice too. But the bats are the main attraction.